The Republican journal., 1887-06-23

The following letter was addressed to- the editor
of the New York Commercial Advertiser and pub
li-hcd in that paper. noted i'll the Journal last
week
Sir: In your issue Of the 81 uimo was pub
lishcd statement OF three sailors Of the ship Rob
crt l.. Bciknap, charging the first mate Albert VI
Rich, with brutality, and also abusing james Pet
erSon 50 that he died from the effects of his njur
les. The statement of the three sailors goes on Ia
say that they shippc'l in the Beknap III san Fran
else" on November Is, lSS;. and arrived in Liver
pool ON March 20, and that from the 'tay they
startr, ON the voyage they were ,'rcadful abused
hy mate Rich; furthermore, that the captain was
no better than the mate. They say that the ship
was il perfect slaughter-housc all the way from
san Francisco To Liverpool, Rich knocking the
men over the he,td with bella wing pins and sending
them sprawling ON the deck; that the captain :
wife was in the habit of bringing the mate WhlskeN
when her husband was asleep. In reply to these
charges am authorized to say that the ship hlt
been in Liverpool seventeen day before any com
plalnt was mte against MIR. Rich Tor abusing the
sailors; that Peterson who died al sea was never
abused b.. the mate or other officers of the ship
but eirkencd and died from natural causes; that
the three sailors now in Ludlow street Jail await
ing the trial of Rich, were prompted to make this
charge by one iladvised shipping master III Iiv
crpool; that 50 r As the captains wife giving the
mate whlskcy when her husband asleep is 4
base faschood that Albert NJ. Rich is a perfectly
temperate man. not even taking glass of wine
when in company. The statement made 10y tho
three sailors would lead an uniformed person Il
believe that these men were drcadfully abused
and tend To prejudice the public mind against the
mate. Mr.. Rich, whose trial is now pending.
The reelection against the captain and his wife
would also he susceptible Of Il double interpreta
tim with persons not familiar with such reports
Every man of practical know ledge knows that !:
ship carries no more men than is necessary To take
care of the ship at sea- Ii would be impossihl,
for any shipla>tcr to sail his ship with safety il
he allowed his officers to knock the sailors sprawl
ing about the decks, the three sailors from the
Hclknap claim her crew were used Their report
j. not only false, but it is Impossible to be true
because there would not he sufficient men left /,
man the Ship. The sailors are shipped to do work
ami not to light 1t is impossible for man to ht
able To do his duty that is Knocked and kickc,
about from day tn day. 1t seems strange thai
people should believe such reports. In Justice
Captain staples and his wife, whom the report al
lcge to he little better than the mate, would say
far the three sailors statement goes thai
they We're poorly fed or ill treated or neglected
when sick is wholly false. 1t would be impossibl,
for these people to misuse any one. Besides I:
shipmastcr of the age Of Captain staples, against
whom no charges Of like character were even
made, does not begin to iii treat his at his age
of life. Truly yours,
.JOH> W. KANE,
Master ship !. ". Parker.